#I will say the fandom would be no offense insufferable if he did win so.

[the-somwthing]

I really wanted Jimmy to win Real Life after what he went through in that cave but his death scream absolutely makes up for the fact that he died

[anonniemousefics]

Hello! I absolutely adore your writing, especially your writings of kanej! Anyway, I would love to see you write something about jealousy from either kaz or inej, I just think it would be interesting to see your take on it! Obviously you don’t have to, I love your work! You’re a great writer!

❤️ Thank you so much!! This was so sweet to receive, and I’m so sorry it’s taken me so long to get this to you! So, hopefully you’re cool with this, but I decided to apply this idea in a modern AU because I have another request I’m also working on for a modern AU and this felt like an opportunity for some more practice. 😊 (And it just made it more fun for me -- idk, my brain just needed to do something new with these characters to make this work.) 

Samples - Modern AU

Fandom: Six of Crows | Kaz + Inej (ft. all the other Crows)

Word Count: 3,545

Rating: Teen And Up (Language)

“Who did this?”

All of Kaz’s friends were doubling over in laughter around the round hand-me-down table in Kaz and Jesper’s apartment. There were black and white Cards Against Humanity prompts spread across its surface – the most offensive combination of which had Inej, well, and everyone else, in fits.

What made my first kiss so awkward? had been the prompt Inej had drawn.

To which Kaz had submitted the following, randomly-selected card for her consideration – Announcing that I am about to cum. And then kept his poker face locked in place.

“Who did this?” Inej was demanding again, clutching her stomach.

Kaz wasn’t sure why he was hesitating -- something strange was happening while all of this was playing out. Nina had one hand on Inej’s arm while she was fairly screeching with laughter. Inej was slumping against Jesper, like the laugh was shaking her boneless. In fact, everywhere he looked, he was noticing how they were each exchanging these casual, unconscious touches in the midst of their mirth – Matthias turning his face against Nina’s shoulder, Wylan slapping Jesper’s shoulder.

No one was touching Kaz, though – which, that was good, though, right? That was because they were his friends, and they were thoughtful, and they knew all about The Very Sad Thing that had made him the way that he was.

And yet --

Kaz couldn’t find it in himself to laugh. He should be laughing, though, he realized. A normal person would be laughing, given the infectious nature of laughter. And also it was genuinely a really funny card – that’s why he’d played it. But all he could do was force a smile, and that was it.

He suddenly felt like an alien among them.

“Was it you?!” Inej was exclaiming, waving the card at him. Kaz designed what he hoped was a coy smirk for her.

“Are you saying that’s your favorite?” he asked, quirking an eyebrow.

“It was you.” Inej looked appalled, which only made everyone around the table hoot louder. Kaz was still smirking as she threw his winning card back at him with a mischievous, red-faced grin on her face.

“Oh, my God, Brekker.” Nina was wiping the tears off her apple-red cheeks.

“Why does that make it so much worse?” Matthias wondered, since he evidently could never not take a jab at Kaz. He scrubbed his eyes like he needed to wash them out.

And still not a single laugh out of Kaz’s body – this was disturbing. How long had he been this way? And why did he care so much all of a sudden?

“Guys, I’m pretty sure he won,” Wylan was saying, pointing at Kaz’s stack of wins. Had he? Everyone turned to count their cards.

Jesus Christ, he hadn’t even been paying attention to winning? But Kaz loved winning. It was the only reason he tolerated his roommate hosting these raucous game nights – because it meant Kaz could win things. And usually a lot of things. It was especially choice winning things off of Matthias Helvar, Nina’s latest lughead boyfriend she’d met at the gym, who now had to be invited to everything even though he sucked. He was always cuddling close to Nina, putting his arm around her, whispering gross things in her ear that made her giggle insufferably. It was so fucking uncomfortable.

Kaz never acted that way around Inej, and they’d been together for years. Sort of. Not always officially. It really had only been officially lately, but Kaz had always told himself he wasn’t one to need to put labels on things. Inej knewhow he felt – he knew this. (Did he, though?) He definitely knew this. (No, he didn’t.) There was no need to be like Matthias fucking Helvar and canoodle her in front of everyone on game night.

Oh, God. Kaz was suddenly having a realization, right there in the middle of counting his cards.

Oh, God.

He was jealous of Matthias Helvar.

Oh, this sucked.

This really fucking sucked. Kaz thought no one in their right mind should ever be jealous of that big dumb fuck, with his protein shakes and his weirdly popular fitspo Instagram page. The guy looked like he ate nothing but wild-caught salmon and organic broccoli. He wasn’t funny, and he’d say weirdly spiritual shit at socially unacceptable times. He probably spent his weekends doing annoying, on-brand fuckery like being one with nature and brewing his own kombucha, that asshole.

And this was the guy who felt comfortable enough to kiss a girl’s ear in a total stranger’s apartment. (Well, not a total stranger, Kaz would relinquish that – Nina had been dating Matthias for three months.) Matthias Helvar was doing all that nothing with his life, and he wasn’t the least bit self-conscious.

Ugh. Kaz hated that guy. Worse! Kaz wanted to be that guy. Minus the kombucha and the religious stuff. And the gym membership. And probably the protein shakes.

Ok, fine, Kaz was only interested in the PDA. This was so fucking awful.

“What number were we playing to?” he heard himself ask. He wasn’t even paying attention to card counting. He was going to have to start again.

“Can’t count that high, Brekker?” Matthias asked, smirking, and there was always something Kaz took as halfway serious in the way he tried to joke.

“Die in a fire, Helvar,” he said, with a smile that was as good as a middle finger.

“And on that note!” Nina sung out, standing with a hand on Matthias’ shoulder. “It’s almost midnight. I have an eight a.m. class. We gotta call it a night.”

“Matthias drove us,” Inej explained to Kaz’s questioning look at the word “We.”

Inej and Nina were roommates, too, like Kaz and Jesper, but the two girls lived on campus in the dorms at Ketterdam University, where all but Matthias attended. (Fucking Matthias, who was a personal trainer and got money from wellness companies to tout their shit on his Instagram. Ugh.) Wylan, Jesper’s boyfriend, was also living in the dorms this year, after spending his freshmen year commuting from his dad’s enormous house. Wylan had been the one with the car before Kaz had finally scraped together the money for one, but his dad had cut him off over the summer. Kaz didn’t know much about that beyond what little Jesper had told him, which, in summary, was: goodbye, car; hello, dorm life.

“You should have said something – I could have picked you all up,” Kaz said, mostly to Inej, as the others were standing from the table.

Nina reached a tentative hand out to gently touch his shoulder, well-protected by the fabric of his black v-neck.

“Kaz,” she said, gingerly, “we love you, but Matthias has functioning air conditioning.”

Kaz slid his glance toward Inej, who gave a little confirming nod, pressing back her amused smile.

“My thighs don’t stick to the seats in his car,” she explained, softly, which may as well have been a knife to the gut. He loved driving her around in his car. And, to top it off, she was in a pair of really adorable denim cut offs, her legs deeply tan from the summer sun, and he hadn’t even had the nerve to try to touch her exposed knee all night. (Meanwhile, Hands-On Helvar over here had been sitting with his palm all over Nina’s plentiful thighs all night. God, he was so gross. Couldn’t Kaz be just a little bit gross?)

“Are you okay?” Inej was asking. She was stepping a little closer to him away from where everyone else was putting on shoes, preparing to leave. She had her arms wrapped around herself and her loose, purple crop-top, and her long, dark braid was pulled over her shoulder – just mercilessly cute all over. And he hadn’t touched her all night.

“I’m fine,” he replied, but he kept his hands in his jeans pockets. Inej’s dark brows knit together.

“You’d tell me if you weren’t?” she checked. Kaz huffed a laugh – how was he supposed to answer that? Realistically, he should lie.

“Probably not,” he admitted anyway, and gave a shrug. Inej opened her mouth to reply, but Nina called to her from the doorway of the apartment.

“Sorry! Eight a.m. class! She’s going to text you from the car anyway!” Nina was shouting.

“She’s not wrong,” Inej shrugged with a smile. And reached out to barely brush her hand against his spine, like the first attempt at a hug. But Kaz could only bunch up his shoulders, hands stuffed deeper into his pockets. Why was he like this?

There were a few more awkward goodbyes at the doorway, including Matthias’ one-more last-minute sales pitch on the recent CBD-infused green powder drink he was hawking online. (“I’ll bring you some samples next week. They say it’s excellent for chronic pain.” Kaz had flipped him off when his back was turned.)

But then, once they’d all gone and the apartment was quiet, Kaz felt like he was rolling in regret.

“You doing ok?” Jesper asked him, gathering up the empty Solo cups for the trash. Jesper was a really good roommate. They’d been randomly assigned the same dorm room at the beginning of freshmen year, and it just worked. Jesper’s high energy plus Kaz’s insomnia were meant to be. They liked all the same things: strong coffee, getting paid dirty money to write other people’s papers for them, and occasionally clearing the mind by playing Call of Duty all night. They’d moved off campus the following year (a better move for the plagiarism operation), never even really having a conversation about whether or not to room with someone else. It was not even a question, and who else would Kaz even want to room with?

“You’ve seemed off all night,” Jesper was pointing out, and if Kaz had half a brain, he knew he should have been asking Jesper for advice about PDA long before it had reached envying-Matthias-Helvar-levels. Jesper and Wylan were normal in public. When they held hands or hugged or traded kisses, it wasn’t some fucking scene.

But how was he even supposed to bring this up to Jesper?

“Helvar’s such a dillweed,” was all he could find to complain. Jesper snorted.

“He is not that bad,” he said, dumping a stack of Solo cups into the trash.

“He’s the literal worst,” Kaz objected. “I can’t believe he unironically called himself an influencer.” And at that, Jesper pretended to barf into the trashcan.

“Yeah, no, you’re right – that was dumb,” he said. “I commend you for not cutting off your own ears when he did.”

“We are not buying his stupid fucking green juice,” Kaz said, pointing at Jesper to show he meant business.

“Good!” Jesper agreed. “Nina says it gives him the shits.”

And that brought Kaz some comfort. He found he could smirk about it while he loaded up the dishwasher. He was starting it up when his phone buzzed on the counter. He leaned over to read it.

Inej: You seemed sad tonight.

Inej’s contact photo in his phone was one he’d snapped when she wasn’t looking – she was leaning her head back with her eyes closed, taking in the sunshine. It had made her brown skin glimmer and dazzle.

Kaz stared at her text for probably too long. Long enough for Jesper to peer around the corner of the kitchen doorway at him.

“I’m going to bed – everything okay?” he said, and cocked his head. “Is it another last minute job?” Those kinds of jobs – the ones where a student was giving up the night before something massive was due – paid the most, but for good reason. They were absolutely fucking miserable to pull off.

“No,” Kaz shook his head. “Just Inej.”

It was never “just Inej” – and Jesper nodded like he knew that.

“Hey, Kaz,” he said, as he began to leave for his bedroom. Kaz looked up at him sidelong as he mouthed, barely audible: “Tell her what’s wrong.”

“Thank you, Dr. Phil.” Kaz rolled his eyes. And heaved a heavy sigh.

And started typing.

Kaz: I guess I was a little.

Whoa, pressing send on that was unpleasant. He wandered over to his preferred recliner in the living room and flopped back in it. Shoved the footrest up to elevate his bad leg. Ugh. Just ugh to everything and everyone. He looked down at his phone again.

And Inej had been quick to respond.

Inej: You can tell me these things, you know.

Inej: I know I won’t always have the right thing to say, but I want to be there for you.

Inej. Why are you being so perfect so far away?

Why are you wasting your time with a boyfriend who struggles to touch you?

Inej: Are you writing a novel?

He’d been writing and rewriting the same sentence twenty different times. She’d probably been looking at those ominous three bobbing dots for way too long.

Ugh. God. Fine. Kaz drew in a long deep breath, staring up at the ceiling like it could intervene and come to his aid. And then fucking wrote.

Kaz: I wish things were different

Kaz: I wish I wasn’t so fucked

Kaz: I wish I knew how to be a better boyfriend – how to make you blush and laugh and make that one smile that’s like you’re telling secrets with your eyes

He pushed the recliner back as far as it would go. Maybe it would tip and dump him on his head and he’d have to go to the hospital, and that would at least delay Inej inevitably breaking up with him for being this pathetic wet blanket. The phone buzzed again, and he almost didn’t want to look.

Inej: Um, where were you all night? You literally had me doing all those things all night

Huh. That wasn’t how he remembered it.

Kaz: On the opposite side of the table from you

Kaz: Watching basically everyone else be able to touch you but me

Oh, fuck, oh, fuck, oh, fuck. That sounded so petulant, and he’d already pressed send. That sounded so needy and disgusting. Who said that kind of shit? Not even Matthias Helvar said that kind of shit. He wanted to throw his phone across the room. No, out the window. No, out into the sea.

Now he was on the receiving end of the three bobbing dots of doom. Fuuuuck.

Kaz: Can we just forget I said that?

More dots. Then nothing.

Then dots.

Inej: I don’t know. You’re kind of cute when you’re jealous.

At that, Kaz raised his eyebrows.

Kaz: I am not jealous.

Inej: You’re a little jealous

Kaz: No, I feel insufficient.

(Oooof. That was like trying to throw an anvil. Painful.)

Inej: Oh

Kaz was watching the texts come in from beneath his arm now, holding the phone high over his head. Like watching the slasher scenes in a horror movie.

Inej: I mean

Inej: It seems like you’re just splitting hairs here

Inej: Since you must think others are sufficient in ways you are not, so you envy them

…

Kaz: Touche, Ghafa.

And he couldn’t help smiling to himself when Inej sent him a gif of a swashbuckling cartoon Robin Hood brandishing a sword. Then another text bubble appeared.

Inej: You are not insufficient to me, Kaz.

He really wanted to believe that.

Kaz: Even if I’m not hanging all over you and amassing a truly staggering number of Instagram followers with my six-pack abs?

Inej: O.M.G.

Inej: Kaz

Inej: Brekker

Oh, God, what had he done?

Inej: Are you *jealous* of Matthias?

Uggghh, he was going to be sick.

Kaz: Fuck no

Kaz: It was just a hypothetical

Kaz: It was an exaggeration

Kaz: I could do the same thing with any one of our friends

Kaz: And we all know the abs are photoshopped anyway

Inej: OMG

Kaz: What now

Inej: You called Matthias our friend

Kaz wanted to stab himself in the brain.

Inej: I’m gonna tell him

Kaz: Don’t you fucking dare

Inej: I already did

Kaz: What? How? How are you that fast?

Inej: Still in the car

Kaz: ????

There was no reason for that – the dorms were hardly a 10-minute drive. Now Kaz’s brain was assaulting him with a thousand reasons things his girlfriend could still be doing in a car (A nice car! With working air conditioning!) with a personal trainer/amateur Instagram model, and none of them were pleasant or welcome thoughts. The phone buzzed again.

Inej: I asked him to bring me back to you. :)

At that, Kaz straightened the recliner, rising to his feet as fast as his stiff leg would allow.

Kaz: You did? And he did? Why?

He was limping toward the front door.

Inej: Because he’s not terrible, Kaz. And because I guess I missed your car after all ;)

Jesper and Kaz’s apartment was the third floor of a wonky old Victorian home that had once been something grand and only recently had been split into three different abodes – which was definitely the worst decision the two of them had made as roommates. Kaz was leaning hard against the railing as he took to the steps when the front door of the building banged shut below. And then there on the landing below was Inej, wearing a sheepish smile in the yellow, buzzing fluorescence of the hall light. She was holding her phone in one hand, her tan leather purse slung across her slim body.

“I thought you looked like you could use a hug,” she said, as she pocketed her phone.

Kaz took the last two stairs carefully, coming to stand in front of her. She smelled like vanilla and coconut oil – like something he wanted to wake up to every morning.

“You came all the way back for a hug,” he wanted to clarify. His hands – he should do something with his hands. What would Matthias do with his hands?

No. What do I want to do with my hands?

So, he looped a couple fingers through her belt loops. Tugged her a little closer. And she smiled.

“Technically,” she said, “Matthias came all the way back so I could bring you some samples.” She patted her purse, which did look a little bulkier. “They were in his car the whole time.”

“Mmmm.” He pretended to look tantalized. “Hot car samples. Delicious.”

Inej was twisting her fingers in the t-shirt fabric at the crest of his hips. Tugging him a little closer, too. God, it was so good. She’d been so right. He had wanted a hug.

“I know that’s how I want my protein powder,” she teased. “Piping hot, right out of the oven.”

“Just how Ma used to make it,” Kaz added, with a good bit of feigned nostalgia. Inej blurted out a laugh, tipping forward until her forehead bumped his sternum.

At that first brush, it was like his hands knew what to do from there. They slipped around her waist while her hands slid around his. And she pressed her cheek against his chest while he held her close.

“You are not insufficient,” Inej said against him.

“I would really like to pretend that never happened,” he said with a sigh, resting his chin on top of her head.

“Too late,” she hummed, happily, and gave him a light squeeze. He smiled against her hair.

“You know I wouldn’t want you to be like Matthias, right?” she asked.

“You shouldn’t even want Matthias to be like Matthias,” Kaz grumbled.

“Hey,” and Inej pulled back to look up at him with her big, soft brown eyes. “I mean it. I just want you to be you. I don’t want all the handsy stuff. That’s what Nina likes. I just like you.”

Kaz carefully pushed back a few strands of her hair from her forehead.

“Not even a little handsy stuff?” he checked, which made Inej give her coy little smirk, his very favorite.

“Maybe a little handsy stuff,” she said.

If there were ever going to be a time to kiss her, it would be now. But when he thought it, Kaz felt his heart make an enormous leap into his throat, seizing in panic. If he touched her mouth with his, if he closed his eyes and felt her face so close to his, would he just end up floundering in The Very Sad Thing again? What if it happened while he was kissing her? Would every kiss after that be tainted? Could he risk it – could he ever?

So, he didn’t move to meet her lips. He let his hands fall to the small of her back, though, and kept her close for another moment. Like a sample of physical affection, and she seemed okay with that. He would will himself to believe it was not insufficient.

“Drive me home?” she asked after a moment, with a kind of sweet, eager anticipation that made Kaz believe in magic. He nodded, of course.

“I’ll go up and get my keys,” he said. “And you throw away those samples.”

Inej laughed, following him up.

“Deal,” she said.

-----------------------------------

Tagging: @annejulianneh111, @loveyatopluto, @ireallyshouldsleeprn, @whosanxiety, @raging-bisexual-alert,

[melyaliz]

Chapter 5: Show & Tell

Starcrossed Masterlist

Fandom: Harry Potter 

Summary: The moments in our life can be big or small but they are all the moments we have.

Pairing: Draco x OC 

Notes: Special thanks to @thespacebuns​ for sending me a ton of love which made me like “I really should finish editing this and post it” 

I promise I haven’t abandoned this story! I just got a little lost but I am going to buckle down and clean up the outline and try and get more regular posts up. THANK you for all your support 

Nova is owned by @the-shadow-of-atlantis​

Abby is owned by my friend Kim 

All Masterlists @melyalizarchive​​

Connect with me! AO3 / Instagram / Pinterest

DONATE or REQUEST

----------------------------------------------

There were those years when you start to learn who you are as a person. Years that challenge you to become someone new, someone who was always inside you just waiting for that moment to break free.

Sometimes it isn’t one defining moment but a million little ones that build up on each other. Moments that challenge you and build you into who you are or take you to places you never thought you would go.

Year 4 was that for Calista. It was in that year that she realized what it meant to really be a hero. 

To be herself.

Silly rebellions like running in the rain seemed so trivial after year 4. 

Childish mysteries like who her pen pal Grove was were long solved.

But the true mystery was yet to be solved.

Who was she?

———

“Good hold your hand up just a little higher and cast”

Calista shouted the spell knocking the jinks into the dueling dummy. She has been part of the dueling club since her second year. She had a strong love and knack for charms which had prompted Flitwick to invite her to the dueling club.

Long blonde hair pulled back in a messy bun dressed in her oversized hand me downs from Grove, a pretty blonde Gryffindor 6th year named Abby, Calista looked nothing like the posh pureblood that frequented only the most exclusive parties parties and even the pretty Hufflepuff who walked the halls of the school in her pristine robes.

Flitwick nodded toward her “What about joining the other students today?”

“I don’t know” she muttered, most of them were a year or so older. 

“Come on,” Cedric said from his place with the other duelers. While Calista and Cedric had never been close Cedric did have a way with becoming friendly with all of his housemates. With his easy to get along with nature and charm it was hard to not like the older Hufflepuff. 

“I’ll go easy on you” Nova, a Slytherin girl and Cedric’s girlfriend, said flipping her hair back. She was one of the top duelers and while Calista’s class normally didn’t normally participate with the other duelers she would watch the older classmen studying them. Learning. Nova in particular, had a way about here that fascinated Calista. It was so full of confidence and purpose of self. 

Shrugging Calista stood trying to push up the sleeves of her oversize jumper. Her heart was racing but she wasn’t sure if it was excitement or nerves. Maybe both. 

Nova’s spells centered around more celistical forms with a few creative flairs that were uniquely her own. It was one of the reasons she was such a good dueler. More of an offensive fighter she would normally attack first. 

This meant Calista would need to build up a defense first before pulling a few spells. Because Norva liked to show off her skills it would be harder to defend but would also leave her open for smaller attacks. Something duelers didn’t normally use because while the objective was to win, showing off, especially when dueling someone like Nova, was where most duelers ended up failing. 

But Calista had never cared much about showing off or being the BEST in her class. She just wanted to do well. 

Their duel ended up going on a bit longer than most because Calista focused on simple defense spells keeping herself covered from Nova’s complex attacks until she saw just the right opening and went for it. 

“Rictusempra!” 

Nova fell back her eyes wide laughing in shock as she clutched her chest. Pulling up her defenses again Calista moved a few feet forward holding up her wand to ready another spell if Flixwick didn’t call the match. 

“Match goes to Calista” 

Walking forward Calista held out her hand for Nova who was now gasping for breath between giggles as they slowly subsided. 

“No one has ever been able to do that before,” Nova said, taking her hand getting up. A huge smile still on her face. 

Calista smiled handing Nova her wand back, “You have a tell”

“Oh? Do I.” 

Calista nodded playing with her wand, “If you take the time to look it’s there.”

“Well, what’s my tell? No one else seems to see it” Nova said as they walked back to the group of students. Two other dueling 5th years getting ready for their match. 

Calista bit her lip blue eyes sparkling, “If I told you then you would have the upper hand”

“Ohhh I like you,” Nova said laughing, “Cedric where did she come from? You’re going to have to come study with us, I could show you some great moves.”  

Calista nodded politely, feeling slightly shy talking to an upperclassman, she still had a hard time connecting with other classmen, never sure when to be formal and when not. “Thank you, I am always open to new ideas.” 

Nova giggled flipping her hair back trying to pull it up back into the long ponytail it had fallen out of, “I spent a year leaning at home, so I have a different perspective. What is your background?”

Calista nodded, shifting slightly from one foot to the other. Slightly uncomfortable with all the attention, besides her roommates and Abby, she didn’t normally talk to other students alone. “I… my parents are pureblood, my brother is Casimir Langlais, he’s a Slytherin too.”

“Wait, that jerk is your brother?” 

“Yeah,”

“Sorry.”

“It’s not your fault he’s a jerk.” 

Nova laughed again, “I meant calling him a jerk, but as long as we are on the same page he’s kind of insufferable. Always talking about how purebloods do things better.”

“Yeah I’m aware.” 

“I always forget he’s your brother” Cedric said coming up next to the girls, “You are so much more quiet than he is. But you better watch out Nova, she’ll surprise you.” 

“She already has or didn’t you see? But trust me, it won’t happen again” 

A few more turns and Flitwick nodded to the mix of students, “ok ,that will be all today. I will see you in class, oh and Calista. I feel like you have proven yourself today, how would you like to join our club officially?” 

“I would love that.” 

Around her the class erupted into clapping and Calisa bowed her head trying to hide the blush that was growing across her face. Her heart was racing so fast she was sure it would burst from her chest. She couldn’t WAIT to tell Abby and the other girls everything. 

Calista felt like she was floating on air as she walked down the halls. The fact that all her hard work in charms was paying off in such a big way made her feel so excited she felt like she was riding on a cloud. The rest of her classes seemed to blur by and no matter what else went on around her nothing seemed to get her down. 

She was good at something, like really good at it. 

“Calista” 

The sound of her name broke the daydream of becoming the world’s greatest duelist with an army of friends who helped her save the world from some impending doom. The daydream faded as reality came into focus as she looked up. Draco, Pansy, and a few other purebloods were standing in the halls of the school. 

It shouldn’t, but seeing all the children from her other life always triggered something in Calista. It was as if she suddenly felt her mother behind her remind her to behave. To stand up straight. To smile softly, not too wide, but just enough to be charming. 

“Malfoy, how has your day been?”

“Fine, I heard you knocked that muggle girl on her ass.” 

“Muggle girl?”

“The one who always talks about her muggle life.”

“Nova?” 

“Yeah.”

“I mean, it was in dueling club.” She wasn’t sure how to respond, they made it sound like she had done it on purpose. I mean she sort of did but… not maliciously. 

“Why are YOU in the dueling club?” Pansy asked, looking slightly horrified while Draco couldn’t help but laugh.

“That’s a sight I’m sure.”

Calista shrugged her hands brushing at her soft hufflepuff robes unsure how to respond. It wasn’t quite looked down upon for a lady of pureblood to be well versed in dueling but it also wasn’t… encouraged. “I probably just got lucky.”

“She was probably too busy running her mouth about how muggles do things better.” Draco sniffed, “She’s like Potter only a slightly more tolerable. Can you believe he got his name in the goblet.” 

And like that the conversation shifted back to the normal school gossip. Potter being part of the contestants, the upcoming ball, classes. Calista bit her lip slightly trying to find a polite way to bow out. Not that she didn’t appreciate the Slytherin Purebloods’ including her in the conversation but she had promised Abby they would study together for a few hours before dinner.  

“I… Uhh'' Calista tried to pull together her excuse, “Thank you for your support today. I promised a friend I would study but I look forward to catching up later.” 

“Yeah ok” Draco said, waving her away as Pansy flashing her a smile. Both Crabbe and Goyal seemed too interested in arguing over something to even notice. 

“I still don’t understand why that girl got sorted into Hufflepuff of all places” Draco sniffed as he watched Calista walk off. Even the way she walked screamed pedigree. She seemed to glide across the floor, her perfectly pressed robes floating around her. 

“I can, there is something off with that girl.” Pansy said hands on her hips as she studied Draco. Had he forgotten the skeptical that the Langlais had caused at his family’s summer their first year? Not to mention she was in the dueling club. 

“You say that about every girl,” Draco said, rolling his eyes, turning back to his friends. Pansy was just prone to jealousy and didn’t really get along with other females. He knew who Calista was, she was raised to be perfect. She was someone who always knew what was right and what was good. 

She was everything a pureblood should be.  

---------

“Oh my god it got in my mouth” Calista gagged as she doubled over laughing. Reaching for a clean rag she tried to wipe away the plant’s spit that had perfect aim. Her shirt was already covered in goop so trying to find a clean bit was impossible, not that her rags were much cleaner at this point.

Next to her Hannah burst out laughing, “You poor dear.”

“Honestly, who even is this girl across from me?” Maria asked as she wiped her hands over her almost pure white apron. How she had been able to keep herself -mostly- clean was beyond Calista. 

“I’m a disaster,” Calista said, trying to minimize the mud and goop that was caked just about everywhere. Herboligy had always been a struggle for her but it almost felt like it was getting worse as time went on. These plants had it out for her. They knew. 

Hannah on the other hand was a master at Herbology. She just had a way around the green house that was the envy of her roommates. Calista had gotten better grades since soliciting her help but the mess had not improved.

Again, the plants knew. 

Not that a little mess bothered Calista. It had become somewhat of a joke between the Hufflepuff girls. How dirty can Calista get?

If only her mother could see her now. 

After the class was done Calista broke off from her friends to dash back to the dorms. It was a bit of a sprint but if she rushed she could make it from the greenhouses to the basement where the Hufflepuff house was so she could change before lunch was over. 

As she hurried across the halls she couldn’t help but look down at the old jumper Abby had given her. These stains would probably never come out. 

Because she was busy looking down at her shirt she wasn’t really looking where she was going until she ran right into someone.

“Oh I’m so sorry I…”

“Hey watch… Langlais? 

Blinking Calista looked up at him, her stomach dropped as if she had been caught doing something wrong, something dirty. Although in the truest sense of the word she was dirty. 

“Malfoy, I… excuse me.” she ducked her head trying to move around him but he caught her arm stopping her. 

“What happened to you?” 

“I...” what did he mean what happened? Calista wasn’t sure if she should feel touched he cared about her well being or offended by his tone which suggested something else. “Oh this is just from herbology, I’m quite rubbish.” she giggled tilting her head to one side. “I really need to go change before lunch.” tugging lightly at her arm he looked down at his hand which was still clamped over the wooly material before letting it go. Wiping his hand on his robe he shrugged.

“I’ll see you at lunch then.” 

“I would LOVE to have lunch with you” the smile was bright and excited at the prospect as if she had never had lunch with another human before. Draco frowned at her never ending excitement for the most mundane things.  

He was about to inform her that it hadn’t been an invitation but the way she was smiling up at him… he decided against it. 

It’s not like they hadn’t eaten together before. 

“Ok I’ll meet you there a bit.” she dashed away before pausing for a moment turning back, that ridiculous smile still on her face, “I can’t wait.” she added waving at him before daring down a corridor.  

Draco watched the young girl dash away her small frame engulfed by the large baggy sweater and dirty jeans. Her soft blonde hair was all over the place barely held together by a yellow ribbon. 

Who was that and what had happened to the graceful pureblood aristocrat? 

Pansy’s words echoed in his brain as he slowly made his way to the dinning hall. 

“There is something off with that girl.” 

---------- 

Pillow night was a tradition among the 4th year Hufflepuff girls. Something they had started Year two. Coined by Susan Bones after they had a long night gossiping about the going’s on at Hogwarts.

It turns out Elizabeth Drew seemed to know a little bit about everyone in the castle while Maria had a running commentary about all the on goings. The night itself hadn’t been that memorable but it was the morning after when McGonagall had snapped at Susan for falling asleep in class. She had awoken with a start apologizing saying it was due to “Pillow night.” 

And thus the name was born. 

Tonight it was about which boys they wanted to ask them to the dance. Most of it consisted of who they fancied but there was also a lot of “what if’s” throw in there just for giggles and laughs. 

“What about you Calista?” Hannah asked, normally the pretty blonde participated more but tonight she was more focused on doing Susan’s hair than really adding to the conversation. “I saw you having lunch with Malfoy today.” 

“Fancying someone means marriage,” Calista paused thinking it over for a moment as she added another clip to Susan’s hair, “and that's all my parents want for me,” 

“Not what you want?” Maria asked, much more interested in this weird outlook than the topic of boys. 

Calista shrugged, “I guess I just never gave it much thought. For myself anyway, I think you and Seamus would be adorable Elizabeth”

 “Well we don't’ have to marry them, sheesh Calista, you're so serious sometimes.” Hannah laughed not letting her get out of this one quite let. “You can just enjoy a good looking human.”

“Yes, and there are so many good looking ones,” Susan teased, laughed gently nudging Calista. 

“Can’t help it I guess,” Calista laughed, “It's the pureblood in me” 

“We’ll just have to teach you” Susan said, “So what do we think about the boy who lived?”

“Way too skinny” Maria blurted out, “Honestly, do his guardians feed him?” 

And they were all back at it again. Laughing and giggling, the topic shifting to a million different things while cuddling their pillows and just enjoying each other. 

Calista couldn’t help but feel like these were the most important parts of her life. Not the big moments but these small ones. Where she just fit in with her friends. Sure, they teased her, but they also accepted her for herself. 

Whoever that person was. 

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[musicallisto]

Okay okay, I never did this so I hope my info is enough. My pronouns are they/them, I play a lot of video games, like to read and play with my cats. May I request both HP and Disney for the fandoms, doesn't matter if it's a guy or a girl but please don't pick Harry aksjsjs. And like, from Disney I love Big Hero 6, Mulan, Maleficent, Frozen, Tangled and Brave most. Oh and a song I want everyone to listen to is Inside by Survive Said The Prophet. Thank you in advance, and sorry for the long ask!

I Ship You With...

Li Shang (Mulan)

There is, undeniably, some rival energy, maybe a little bit of enemies-to-lovers tension in the history of your relationship. You both kind of feel you are strong-minded individuals, who have a hard time tolerating being contradicted publicly or stood up against, or at least most definitely on his part. You are more the kind to have your ego bruised and brood with a scowl on your face for the rest of the day, maybe adding a little bit of silent treatment to the mix. When Li Shang notices how discreetly mad you get when you are vexed, he tries at first to correct such behavior - surely there is not place for such immaturity in his army -, but he secretly enjoys the little pout you have on your face when you’re angry. It’s just so exhilarating and satisfying to see your face get red and you fumbling with your words, although deep down you know your captain is right. But you’d rather die to the hands of the Huns than admit to his insufferable holier-than-thou, cold, arrogant and charming and... terribly cocky little face that he might have the last word. So you bicker. A lot.

But there is finally a moment where he gets through your surface and finally understands more of you as a person, and not simply a soldier in his army. It’s on those quiet nights when you’re camping outside of the capital, on a deserted road away from the barracks, all for some real-conditions training. You two are the only ones still awake after an unending trek through the countryside and the forests. He comes to sit by your side, in front of the fire, and it’s a long while before he dares to speak up. There’s a softness in his voice that you never would have imagined. He questions you about your interests and why you decided to join the army. Unaccustomed to him being so tender and affectionate, you suspect at first it is all but a tactic to have you open up and ridicule you in the future, in front of all the other soldiers, but when you perceive the sincerity in his eyes, you accept to talk a little, unveil some bits about your life, your childhood, your hobbies, your aspirations and dreams. He listens religiously. You remain seated there, together, for a few hours before you leave to go to bed. He affectionately clasps your shoulder and rests his hand a little longer than he usually does with the other soldiers. Friendship, affection, and maybe something more, have never looked sweeter than they do in his upturned and kind face.

(As you retreat to your tent and remove your shoes, you can’t help but wonder, pensively, if the red you saw on his cheeks when your eyes crossed was merely a trick of the light and the fire, or the promise of something more, unmentioned and unmentionable.)

Ron Weasley

There is definitely something there between the two of you that I, not being in any of your minds, can pinpoint, nor totally understand; something that makes you both perfectly compatible for one another. It’s something that shows and not necessarily that’s said or that’s understood. It shows, for example, when you listen to Ron vent because he needs to let it all out, all his insecurities and his ugly thoughts and his worries and his anxieties, and you rub his back comfortingly while he pours everything that’s troubling his mind into your soul, and you are attentive all the way through like the amazing partner that you are. Not to say that your relationship is one-sided, absolutely not. He is also a supportive boyfriend, albeit a tad more awkward than you. He may have grown up showered in love by his family, he doesn’t quite know how to transform all of that into romantic affection. He tries, though. You see it, and you appreciate it. He listens, he holds your hand; he kisses you on the temple - oh how he loves kissing you on the temple when no one is looking.

Don’t get me wrong, Ron is most definitely a dog person... but he loves cats just as much as the next guy, which means a lot. Actually, I imagine that you’d have three of them, undoubtedly each bearing some very creative name, maybe a pun or two thrown in there. Kind of like your children, you’d say often, only half-joking. Invasive children, though, especially when you have a movie night. It took you enough time to teach Ron how a television works and that the characters will not respond when addressed, but it’s even more of a hustle when the cats jump on the sofa and demand attention and food during your Disney marathon. Blocking the TV right in the middle of the boat scene in Tangled - that’s serious offense, you pester, as you “reluctantly” give them a pat. Even Ron doesn’t dare to shoo them away. They’re just too pure, and they have every right to enjoy the movie as well. So you end up all watching the most romantic scene in all Disney history (yes, you will fight a man on this) in a tangled mess of limbs and cat fur and slight purrs that you’re not entirely sure are from the cats or your sleepy boyfriend.

Wait until you’re playing video games, though... Ron will yell that the cats walking right past the TV screen are distracting him and preventing him from winning. But you know the truth... you’re just far, far better at all that Muggle stuff than Ron is, no matter his upbringing. No beginner’s luck this time: all is fair in love and PVP.

(sorry this is shorter, hope you still like it though!)